Update a PCS 7 OS Server After Copying WinCC Process Screens

When screens copied from one PCS 7 OS project show missing process values or empty interlock faceplates on another OS server, copying the pictures alone may leave the target WinCC project without current AS-derived tags and OS objects. In PCS 7 V8.2, Siemens documents OS compilation as the step that transfers relevant AS engineering data to the OS project and creates objects such as process tags, messages, and picture blocks. Compile the correctly assigned target OS project from the engineering project, then deploy that compiled OS project to the target station using the site's normal procedure.

Why copied screens can be incomplete

A WinCC process picture can contain references to process tags and generated PCS 7 picture blocks. Copying a .pdl screen transfers picture content, but does not by itself regenerate the target OS project's AS-derived tags, messages, server data, or generated process objects. Siemens' PCS 7 V8.2 Configuration Manual describes OS compilation as transferring relevant AS engineering data to the OS project and creating associated objects, including process tag symbols, picture blocks, tags, messages, archive tags, and OS server packages.

In the reported case, approximately 95% of screens worked, while some actual values and interlock faceplates were absent. The reply suggested missing or renamed tags and recommended compiling the OS after CFC block changes. The available details do not include the error archive or establish whether every failed picture was caused by a missing tag rather than a picture-block or hierarchy mismatch.

Method: compile the target OS from the PCS 7 engineering project

Use this method when the target OS project is stale relative to AS/CFC engineering data or when process tags and generated OS objects are missing.

In the PCS 7 engineering project, confirm the correct OS project and AS/OS assignment for the target station. If the two servers form a redundant pair or have separate OS assignments, follow that project's configured architecture; the source does not describe whether the servers are redundant.
Confirm the intended CFC/AS engineering data is present in the engineering project. If block names, operator-relevant I/Os, or interconnections changed, compile the relevant AS/CFC engineering data in the normal engineering workflow before OS compilation. Do not download modified control logic to a running controller merely to refresh OS tags unless the control-system change requires it and has been approved.
Start the OS project's Compile command in SIMATIC Manager, or use the configured multiple-OS compilation workflow. Check that the target AS connections are selected and choose the appropriate scope for the changes. The V8.2 manual says the OS compiler transfers the relevant AS data and generates corresponding OS objects.
Review the compilation summary and results. Confirm there are no unresolved AS/OS assignments or compile errors affecting the missing tags or block icons.
Download or otherwise deploy the compiled OS project to the intended OS station according to the site's PCS 7 operational procedure. OS compilation in the engineering project and delivery to the runtime station are separate operations.
Open the affected process pictures and verify the exact missing process values and interlock faceplates against the intended process tags and configured block instances.

Method: diagnose individual pictures after OS compilation

If only certain screens remain incorrect after the OS project is compiled and deployed, compare a failing screen with a working equivalent. Inspect its process-tag references, hierarchy placement, generated block icon references, and whether the referenced tags and block instances exist in the target OS project. Check for renamed CFC blocks or changed tag paths and verify the OS assignment includes the relevant AS data. The source's attached error images are unavailable, so exact control names, tag paths, and faceplate checks cannot be specified here.

Expected result

A successful OS compilation should update the target OS project with the AS-derived data selected by its OS assignment and compilation scope. The source does not report whether OS2 was later compiled or whether this corrected the pictured failures. Validate the actual process values and interlock displays rather than treating a successful compile or download as proof that all picture references are correct.

Verification

For each affected picture, verify that each expected process value displays the intended live tag and that each interlock faceplate opens for the correct process object and reflects its expected configuration. Compare tag names and hierarchy references with the engineering project and with a working OS picture. Check both the compiled project on the engineering station and the deployed Runtime on the target server; do not use the source server's working display as the only acceptance check for the target.

Limitations and Operational Precautions

The ticket reports redundant CPU 414-5H hardware and two OS computers described as servers, but does not identify whether the OS servers are a redundancy pair, which PCS 7/WinCC release was used, or what was contained in the omitted ERRORS.ZIP attachment. Siemens' PCS 7 V8.2 manual supports OS compilation as a method to transfer AS data and create OS objects; exact wizard options and deployment procedures must match the installed project version and topology. An OS-only update and a control-program change are distinct. Use approved change control, retain a recoverable project backup, and coordinate downloads with operations, especially if the target is redundant or in service.

Engineer FAQ

Will copying a process picture also create its referenced PCS 7 OS tags? No. Siemens documents OS compilation as the step that transfers AS engineering data and creates OS tags and associated objects; copying a screen file alone is not that compile operation.

Should the CFC be downloaded to the CPU just to refresh an OS screen? Not automatically. Determine whether the needed CFC engineering change is already present and whether only OS data needs rebuilding. A CPU download is a separate control-system operation and is not implied by compiling the OS.

What if OS compilation succeeds but an interlock faceplate is still empty? Compare the faceplate's object/tag reference, hierarchy, and generated block icon with a working equivalent, then confirm those objects exist in the target OS project and are deployed.

Technical References

Siemens, Compendium Part A – Configuration Guidelines (V8.2), Configuration Manual, 08/2016, A5E38166869-AA, §9.4 “Compile OS,” pp. 195–198. The manual describes OS compilation as transferring relevant AS engineering data and creating associated OS objects, and documents the OS compile workflow: https://cache.industry.siemens.com/dl/files/190/109740190/att_902846/v1/pcs7_compendium_part_a_en-US_en-US.pdf